If you’ve ever seen a loved one go through the agony of cancer, or experienced it firsthand, you know the emotional toll it can take . . . and exploring every possible means of relief can be vital to recovery.
So could practicing mindfulness help?
Caroline Hoffman, PhD and her team of researchers wanted to find out if Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) could be more effective than standard care in boosting the mood, health-related quality of life, and well-being of women with stage 0 to III breast cancer.
The researchers recruited 229 women diagnosed with stage 0 to III breast cancer who had recently completed surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. They then assigned the women to either an 8-week MBSR program or a waitlist control group.
The women in the MBSR group received eight weeks of mindfulness training that included the practice of formal techniques like sitting meditation, body scans, and yoga-based stretching.
Home practice was critical to the study as well – researchers required participants to engage in mindfulness for 40 to 45 minutes six or seven days a week on top of each weekly two-hour class.
In the meantime, women in the waitlisted control group were evaluated alongside the experimental group for mood, quality of life, and well-being at weeks 0, 8, and 12 before eventually receiving their own mindfulness training once the study period ended.
Researchers surveyed both groups using self-report questionnaires, including the Profile of Mood States, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Endocrine Systems, and the WHO five-item well-being questionnaire.
Here’s what they found.
The women trained in MBSR enjoyed significant improvements in general mood and well-being, as well as better quality of life related to illness and health stressors than did the control group at both 8 and 12 weeks.
It’s particularly exciting to hear that the results held up after 12 weeks – this study is one of the few I’ve seen that uncovers notable benefits of MBSR on mood in cancer patients after 3 months of practice.
The full study is available in the April 20, 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
These findings are encouraging – especially for women living with stage 0 to III breast cancer.
Of course, I would also be interested to see the results of longer-term follow-up periods, as well as an active control group, in future studies.
But in the meantime, researchers continue to investigate and discover new ways we can all experience the benefits of mindfulness.
That’s why we’ve brought together leading experts on mindfulness. Click here to check out our courses.
Have you ever tried mindfulness with a patient experiencing or recovering from an illness? Please tell us about it in the comments below.
Nice
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my weibste so i came to “go back the choose”.I am trying to find things to improve my web site!I assume its good enough to make use of some of your ideas!!
As an MS patient and as a volunteer with the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Parkinson’s Society, providing sessions in Mindfulness Meditation to various support groups, I thought
“nicabm” might be interested in the beneficial effects experienced by some support group memebers of these organizations. People affected by these diseases (as well as their care-givers) who practice “Mindfulness”report significant improvement in the quality of their daily lives and their ability to take charge of their lives. Their ability to relax, put stress on the back burners, improve their immune system and overall health, learning to be “in the now” of life is greatly enhanced by their practice. For many there are the additional benefits of moderating pain and/or spacticity, controlling shaking hands and/or feet, etc., reducing the effects of anxiety, depression, and bringing greater awareness of themselves and others, thereby finding inner peace and tranquility.
“Mindfulness” can help heal the mind as well as the body permitting all of us to become “one with everything”.
My dear wife Susan was hospitalized in November of 2011 following a pancreatic attack causing her to collapose in a parking lot, taken by amblance to the hospital. In early January of 2012 was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Susan has been receiving chemotherapy since January 2012. She is not a candidate for surgery or radiation. We have also employed alternative therapies/practices like: Biofeedback, Guided Imagery; mostly from other professional’s material (I am a trained Guided Imagery Facilitator) acupuncture, meditation/mindfullness, with strong appreciation of Zen Buddhism (as novist/begainners) tending to follow Thich Nhat Hanh’s path, resonate with basic values of Native American spirituality, especially Hopi & Sioux Nations, from time to time participate in Sufi prayer circles, lead by a close professional friend, while still loosley maintaining a basic Christian practice, we were both brought up to respect and follow, as such appreciate Tich Nhat Hanh’s work on in ‘Living Buddha, Living Christ” & “Going Home”. So far Susan has done an extraordinary job of beating that 95% fatality rate TWICE over, while maintaining a reasonable quality of life! We get good support from family and friends which helps, plus Susan has started to attend a pancreatic support group recently. I try to be as much support as I can, limited somewhat by the needs of my profession, which I truely love, yet find demanding. That being said I am grateful to be able to work and provide for the both of us as Susan can no longer work AND take proper care of herself (ie rest at home, nap when tired, taling care not to over exert, eat as healthy as possible, plus avoid stress as much as possible.
May peace be your path,
Michael
Michael- how wonderful and brave your wife must be! I am intrigued by her wholistic path and am not surprised she is doing so well on her journey with all these tools.
I too over the last years have become interested in Buddhism. I recently discovered Pema Chodron, an American Buddhist. It is likely that your wife is familiar with her books. She focuses on meditation and mindfulness. If not, her writings may be of interest to her.
Respectfully,
Beth
I have used Mindfulness and Intention based work for many years. I have worked with many types of Cancer. I have worked with ages from 5yrs old to 80+yrs.old. Children are amazing to work with.
I have worked with caregivers and have been a caregiver myself. Heart centered care offers great peace with end stage cancer. It can be difficult to offer sometimes but the benefit to the client is well worth the time and effort. I am grateful to all those who are working to advance this mindset.
In 1984 I was introduced to “progressive relaxation” just as I was starting my chemotherapy protocol for germ cell ovarion cancer. I really didn’t know what I was doing but I used my relaxation tape twice every day and I’m sure it was a significant factor in my ability to limit my use of Xanax during that year. Following that year I was diagnosed with Major Depression. To understand the endless “why’s”, I’ve been following the development and understanding of “spirituality” ever since without calling it “mindfulness”. In 2008 I had a lumpectomy and the strong inner peace that I felt was amazing. Truth can be painful but I strongly encourage some form of this healing technique as a way to develop endurance and a healthy sense of self. With an open mind to what you learn about yourself, it works!!
I am sure mindfulness has and helps anybody who has to deal with reality and most of all the reality of sickness..The awareness-the present- center- ness and acceptance leads to change to the way we think,feel and believe.
I’ve been utilizing mindfulness with cancer patients, their caregivers and family members for 17 years, in hospice, my private practice and classes I teach at the Cancer Support Community. It is so encouraging to see this research, which confirms my own experience. I have one cautionary comment: the term “Pink-Ribbon Mindfulness” will be offensive to many people affected by cancer. There is a phenomenon called “Pink Envy” in this population which is a reaction to the fact that breast cancer receives the bulk of media attention and financial support.
Even though this research focused on those with Stage 0-III cancer, my experience (anecdotal feedback) is that mindfulness practices can be equally effective for those with Stage IV cancer and at end-of-life.
Well said Kevin – I was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in Aug. of 2011 and what got me through the radiation and life changing mental adjustments was daily meditation with specially designed music therapy sessions each morning. The music moved me out of fear/depression, into a controlled calmness, then into acceptance and finally a euphoric connection with something bigger and loving – Spirit. I wish the study had not “written off” those of us with a smaller chance of recovery. A mantra that helped me greatly is “Spirit is the life, Mind is the builder and Physical is the result”. Our greatest asset and strength is the spirit we are, connecting with the Spirit that creates everything.
Always the best content from these pridgoious writers.